


Misunderstanding

by erynion



Series: The Origin of Love [1]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Breakup, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt, Episode Related, Episode Tag, Episode: s01e02 Yee-Haw, Hurt Carlos, Hurt TK, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Relationship Issues, Tarlos - Freeform, no comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:01:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23599510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erynion/pseuds/erynion
Summary: Every relationship is different, but the emotional pain hurts the same. As the proverb says, "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, that's on me". And T.K. wasn't going to let himself fall for that again.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: The Origin of Love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1698676
Comments: 6
Kudos: 74





	Misunderstanding

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! It’s been a while since I wrote anything at all but somehow I managed to binge the whole season of this show in just two nights… and I fell so in love with its characters! 
> 
> Please, bear with me as English is not my native language and I don't have a beta.

**11.05 p.m.**

T.K. sighed with relief when he finally got down the truck for the day, barely hearing his Captain’s words while he head for the shower. It felt great to save people, day after day. And it sure as hell had been an interesting day. Mercury poisoning, that crazy lady, the people at the motel. When had he encountered things like that back in the city?

Although Alex…

He tripped and his hand went to the bathroom’s door handle for support. He’d better not think about Alex. He didn’t need that. Ever.

He sighed and entered the bathroom, and started to undress while the people joined him. Paul, Judd, Mateo. He gave them a silent nod of acknowledgement but didn’t say anything, nor did the others. It had been a long shift, and they were just too tired. He just wanted to shower, grab a bite and go to sleep… and sleep past his morning shift the next day too.

His phone fell to the floor as he was taking off his pants. He uttered a silent curse and bent down to pick it up when he saw the screen was on.

_"Just got home, u hungry?"_

T.K. smiled and typed a quick answer before leaving the phone on the bench and getting into the shower. Well, it looked like he wasn’t going to go to bed too early that night after all.

* * *

**12.00 a.m.**

He smiled when he saw him at the door. He was wearing a blue satin shirt, so different than the cop uniform he was so used to see. And God, he was so freaking hot. Quickly, with urgency, he threw himself at his mercy, his mouth meeting Carlos’ with angst, desire and despair. They both had had so much fun the other night… and truth be told, T.K. felt happy. Or happier. Happier than he had felt when he got to Austin with his dad, and way happier than he had felt before that. And actually it was quite scary to feel something so nice, thought T.K. before he flinched when Carlos bit his ear. That guy was so great he was driving him crazy…

However, Carlos stopped and invited him to the table. And as soon as he saw it, T.K. smile fell flat. He had set a table with the whole pack: candles, a nice bouquet of flowers and some champagne – and then T.K. realized that Carlos’ hunger that night was the genuine, G-rated hunger.

He felt uncomfortable but he tried to keep a blank face as he heard Carlos put so much effort in that night, in the champagne, in the red snapper. And he definitely did notice something was wrong with him.

“Damn, you don’t like fish.”

T.K. sighed.

“This feels like a… Like a whole thing.”

“A whole thing? You mean dinner?”

“No.”, answered T.K. He sighed. He was definitely uncomfortable and was desperate for some air. It was starting to feel asphyxiating in there. “It’s just, I thought we were clear about everything. I’m not looking for…” For dinners at midnight with champagne and flowers, and a handsome guy smiling at him while he served his homemade dishes. For another Alex. “For this.”

“Well… I’m sorry. But I don’t do this a lot.”

Something wasn’t right. He felt that. At first he had looked sincere, like he understood. But something in his voice revealed that he understood nothing at all.

“Clearly.”, T.K. replied, visibly more irritated.

“I don’t think it’s a big ask to have an actual conversation before we hook up”, Carlos replied stubbornly, with a smirk that made T.K. want to punch him in his perfect face.

“Well, it’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”, T.K. replied angrily. Too angrily. He sighed and tried to relax in the chair, shifting his position so he didn't feel that aggressive. “Look, I just got out of a relationship. I’m not looking to jump into another…”

“It’s a meal. Not a marriage proposal, T.K.”

He couldn’t really believe he had said that. Really, Carlos?, he thought. Of course the Latino didn’t know anything about Alex, and T.K. was definitely not going to tell him anything at all. He looked at him with hurt eyes, his mouth tense.

“What, did I just step into something or…”

T.K. got up before Carlos could finish the sentence. He had had enough. Enough hookups, enough dinners. Enough Carlos. Enough Alex. He turned his back to Carlos and walked to the door silently.

“Dude, are you… are you serious right now?”

He stopped when he heard Carlos behind him. Was he really doing that?

“Dude, you invited me over here at midnight. What do you want me to say?”. T.K. looked at him, questioningly, trying to calm himself down and failing to do so.

“Yeah… After both our shifts. Why are you being so crazy?”

Because you don’t understand, he thought. He looked at Carlos, hurt but patient, feeling lonely but caring. He knew he was being crazy. Heck, Carlos was driving him crazy.

“I…”

But then he stopped. He was not ready for this. For another man in his life, other than his brothers and his father. His heart beat too rapidly when he was in front of Carlos since that night when he had asked T.K. for a dance. That night had been the first night when he had almost felt like a normal person again. And that was terrifying.

He just couldn’t risk falling for that guy. He couldn’t bear the pain of another disappointment.

He turned and show his back to Carlos.

“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.”

T.K. got out of Carlos’ house and didn’t look back.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Let me know your thoughts!


End file.
